Garment size adjustment assembly

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a size adjustment device and methods of use for resizing an article of clothing or other suitable article. The device includes a panel having a head section and an opposite foot section, the panel further including a first margin and an opposite second margin extending between the head and foot sections. Both the first and second margins include a set of teeth arranged thereon, with the first set of teeth further including a zipper coupled thereto. In an example use, the device is coupled to an article, such as a jacket, with the zipper of the device coupling the first set of teeth with corresponding teeth on the article, and the existing zipper on the article coupling the second set of teeth on the device with corresponding teeth on the article to thereby resize the article without sewing or other physical alterations.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a nonprovisional of and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/221,516, filed Sep. 21, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of the present disclosure relates generally to garments, and in particular, to a size adjustment assembly for quickly and easily adjusting the fit of a garment without requiring sewing alterations or other physical resizing of the garment.

BACKGROUND

As people age and physical activity and metabolism slows down, it is common for people to experience weight gain and a change in body shape. As a person's body changes, their clothing no longer fits as it once did. For example, someone that normally wore a large jacket size may now require an extra-large jacket size. As is common with many people, the weight gain may be concentrated in the chest and/or midsection regions, without otherwise affecting shoulder and/or hip measurements. Accordingly, the large jacket may still “fit” the person, that is, the jacket may sit properly on the shoulders and around the person, except that the increase in chest or stomach size no longer allows the person to comfortably zip up the jacket. In these circumstances, the person likely would have to purchase a new jacket in the appropriate extra-large size, which can be an expensive undertaking, especially for high-end clothing such as premium leather jackets used by motorcyclists. Alternatively, the person may opt to wear the undersized jacket and leave the jacket unzipped. However, this solution is not ideal and would compromise many of the benefits of a jacket. Accordingly, the inventor has recognized a need for a size adjustment assembly that can be easily and quickly deployed to resize a garment without requiring sewing alterations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The attached drawings illustrate an example adjustment assembly that may be used to widen a garment, such as a leather jacket, to increase its size for accommodating changes in a person's physique or body size. The assembly may be useful to increase the life of a garment that may no longer properly fit a person but may otherwise be in a wearable condition.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of a size adjustment assembly for widening a garment.

FIG. 2 illustrates the size adjustment assembly of FIG. 1 in a zipped configuration with the garment.

FIG. 3 illustrates the size adjustment assembly of FIG. 1, in a partially zipped configuration

FIG. 4 illustrates a rear view of the size adjustment mechanism of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This section describes particular embodiments and their detailed construction and operation. The embodiments described herein are set forth by way of illustration only and not limitation. Throughout the specification, reference to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or “some embodiments” are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. The described features, structures, characteristics, and methods of operation may be practiced in isolation or combined in any suitable manner, and can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods, components, materials, or the like. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or methods of operation are not shown or not described in detail to avoid obscuring more pertinent aspects of the embodiments. It should be understood that the foregoing written description and the embodiments in the figures illustrating use of the adjustment assembly with a jacket are merely intended to demonstrate one example embodiment. As noted previously, the adjustment assembly with the features described herein may be used with other articles of clothing, such as skirts, vests, boots, or other suitable articles having a zipper.

The accompanying drawings briefly described above illustrate an example embodiment of a size adjustment assembly for resizing a garment. As described previously, one potential benefit of the assembly is that it provides a person with the opportunity to resize a garment to accommodate changes in a person's physique without requiring sewing alterations of the garment or purchase of a new garment. In addition, the size adjustment assembly may be removed quickly and easily once the person no longer requires it, such as when the person loses weight, to allow the garment to be used at its original size. If a person continues gaining weight, a larger/wider sized adjustment assembly may be used to widen the garment as needed. Additional details of various components of the size adjustment assembly is further described in detail with reference to the figures.

FIGS. 1-4 collectively illustrate a size adjustment assembly 100 that may be zipped into a garment 105 for resizing the garment 105 as needed, according to one embodiment. With general reference to FIGS. 1-2, the size adjustment assembly 100 includes a base panel 102 having a first set of teeth 110 running along a first margin 115, and a second set of teeth 120 running along a second margin 125 opposite of the first margin 115. The first set of teeth 110 includes a zipper 130 in engagement with the teeth 110, the zipper 130 being operable to travel along the teeth 110 when manually pulled upwardly or downwardly. The second set of teeth 120 does not include a zipper. It should be understood that including the zipper 130 with the teeth 110 rather than the teeth 120 is meant for illustration purposes and not meant to be limiting. In other embodiments, the zipper 130 may instead be included with the second set of teeth 120. In general, the zipper 130 on the size adjustment assembly 100 is positioned opposite existing zipper on the garment such that the size adjustment assembly 100 may be zipped together with the garment as is further explained in detail below.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-2, the base panel 102 may have a generally inverted V-shape or may resemble a generally triangular shape with a truncated upper section. As illustrated in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the base panel 102 includes a head section 135 having a width smaller than a foot section 140, with the base panel 102 generally widening downwardly along the first and second margins 115, 125 from the head section 135 to the foot section 140. For example, in some embodiments, the head section 135 may have a width of between 1-2 inches, and the foot section 140 may have a width of 2 inches or more, such as between a range of 2 to 4 inches or up to 6 inches.

The inverted V-shape of the size adjustment assembly 100 helps accommodate a typically wider girth around a user's midsection as compared to a user's chest. In other embodiments, the size adjustment assembly 100 may not have tapered margins, but instead may be generally rectangular, with the first and second margins 115, 125 arranged parallel to one another. Alternatively, the size adjustment assembly 100 may instead have a narrower foot section 140 and a wider head section 135 to provide for additional room around a user's chest instead of around the user's waist as in the previously described embodiment. In such embodiments, the size adjustment assembly 100 may be the reverse of the illustration in FIG. 1, and may have width dimensions similar to those described above. For example, the head section may have a width ranging from 2-4 inches and the foot section may have a width ranging from 1-2 inches. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the shape of the size adjustment assembly 100 may be different to provide a number of different configurations and help accommodate specific needs of the user.

With particular reference to FIG. 3, the garment 105 (shown as a portion of material for illustration purposes) includes teeth 145 running along a first margin 150, and teeth 155 running along a second margin 160 opposite the first margin 150. The teeth 145 include a zipper 165 engaged therewith, while the teeth 155 do not include a zipper. In other embodiments, the zipper 165 may be engaged with the teeth 155 instead of the teeth 145. As described previously, the zipper 165 of the garment 105 and the zipper 130 of the size adjustment assembly 100 are located on opposite margins so that the size adjustment assembly 100 can be installed easily and quickly using the existing zipper configuration of the garment 105.

The following section describes an example use of the size adjustment assembly 100 with the garment 105 in accordance with one embodiment. With collective reference to FIGS. 1-4, the garment 105 (e.g., a leather jacket) is first unzipped by lowering the zipper 165 and separating the teeth 145, 155 to open the garment 105. With the garment 105 fully unzipped, the base panel 102 is aligned between the teeth 145, 155 of the garment 105, with the head section 135 arranged near a top-side of the garment 105 (e.g. adjacent the collar or neck of the wearer), and with the foot section 140 near the waist portion of the wearer. In this configuration, the teeth 115 of the size adjustment assembly 100 are interconnected with the teeth 145 of the garment 105. To fully secure the teeth 115, 145 together, the zipper 130 of the size adjustment assembly 100 is zipped up to attach the size adjustment assembly 100 along the margin 150 of the garment 105, such that the first margin 115 of the size adjustment assembly 100 is adjacent the first margin 150 of the garment 105.

With the size adjustment assembly 100 partially coupled to the garment 105, the user may then put on the garment 105 and zip up the garment 105 as one would normally zip up a jacket. For example, once the garment 105 is on, the user aligns the teeth 120 on the second margin 125 of the size adjustment assembly 100 with the teeth 155 on the second margin 160 of the garment 105. Thereafter, the user zips up the garment 105 with the zipper 165 to fully secure the size adjustment assembly 100 and the garment 105 as illustrated in FIG. 1. In this configuration, the size adjustment assembly 100 provides additional room to accommodate a larger chest and/or a larger midsection. As noted previously, if the user loses weight or otherwise decides that the larger size is no longer needed, the size adjustment assembly 100 may be removed by unzipping both zippers 130, 165. The garment 105 may then be zipped up as usual.

Preferably, the size adjustment assembly 100 is made of the same material, color, and design to match the appearance of the garment 105. In some embodiments, the size adjustment assembly 100 may include tassels or other design features 170 to provide an additional aesthetic appeal or to better coincide with existing design features of the garment 105.

It should be appreciated that in the above description of embodiments, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim require more features than those expressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than all features of any single foregoing disclosed embodiment.

The claims following this written disclosure are hereby expressly incorporated into the present written disclosure, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. This disclosure includes all permutations of the independent claims with their dependent claims. Moreover, additional embodiments capable of derivation from the independent and dependent claims that follow are also expressly incorporated into the present written description.

Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can use the preceding description to utilize the invention to its fullest extent. The claims and embodiments disclosed herein are to be construed as merely illustrative and exemplary, and not a limitation of the scope of the present disclosure in any way. It will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art, with the aid of the present disclosure, that changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the disclosure herein. In other words, various modifications and improvements of the embodiments specifically disclosed in the description above are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, the order of the steps or actions of the methods disclosed herein may be changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is required for proper operation of the embodiment, the order or use of specific steps or actions may be modified. The scope of the invention is therefore defined by the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. A size adjustment device for resizing an article of clothing or other suitable article, the size adjustment device comprising: a panel having a head section and an opposite foot section, the panel further including a first margin and an opposite second margin extending between the head and foot sections, the first and second margins arranged in an angular configuration relative to each other to provide the panel with a generally triangular shape wherein the first and second margins taper outwardly from the head section toward the foot section such that the head section of the panel is narrower relative to the foot section; a first set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of the first margin; a second set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of the second margin; and a zipper coupled to one of the first or second set of teeth, wherein when the size adjustment device is coupled to the article, the size adjustment device resizes the article without physically altering the article.
 2. The size adjustment device of claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a fabric material.
 3. The size adjustment device of claim 2, wherein the fabric material comprises leather.
 4. The size adjustment device of claim 1, wherein the head section has a width of up to 2 inches, and wherein the foot section has a width between 2 inches and 4 inches.
 5. An article of clothing including the size adjustment device of claim
 1. 6. A system for resizing an article of clothing or other suitable article, the system comprising: a size adjustment device comprising: a panel having a head section and an opposite foot section, the panel further including a first margin and an opposite second margin extending between the head and foot sections; a first set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of the first margin; a second set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of the second margin; and a first zipper coupled to the first set of teeth; and an article comprising: a third margin and an opposite fourth margin; a third set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of the third margin; a fourth set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of the fourth margin; and a second zipper coupled to the third set of teeth, wherein when the size adjustment device is coupled to the article, the first set of teeth of the size adjustment device is adjacent the fourth set of teeth of the article, and the second set of teeth of the size adjustment device is adjacent the third set of teeth of the article, wherein the first zipper couples the first and fourth sets of teeth together and the second zipper couples the second and third sets of teeth together to resize the article without physically altering the article.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second margins of the panel are arranged in an angular configuration relative to each other to provide the panel with a generally triangular shape wherein the first and second margins taper outwardly from the head section toward the foot section such that the head section of the panel is narrower relative to the foot section.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the panel and article each comprise a fabric material.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the fabric material comprises leather.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the fabric material of the panel is the same as the fabric material of the article.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the head section has a width of up to 2 inches, and wherein the foot section has a width of between 2 inches and 4 inches.
 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the foot section has a width of up to 2 inches, and wherein the head section has a width of between 2 inches and 4 inches.
 13. The system of claim 6, wherein the article is a leather jacket.
 14. A method of using a size adjustment device for resizing an article of clothing or other article, the method comprising: positioning a panel having a first set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of a first margin of the panel and a second set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of a second margin of the panel adjacent to an article to be resized, the article having a third set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of a third margin of the article and a fourth set of teeth arranged along at least a portion of a fourth margin of the article; coupling the first and third sets of teeth together via a first zipper coupled to one of the panel or the article; and coupling the second and fourth sets of teeth together via a second zipper coupled to the other of the panel or the article to resize the article without physically altering the article.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second margins of the panel are arranged in an angular configuration relative to each other to provide the panel with a generally triangular shape wherein the first and second margins taper outwardly from a head section toward a foot section such that the head section of the panel is narrower relative to the foot section.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the panel and article each comprise a fabric material.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fabric material comprises leather.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the fabric material of the panel is the same as the fabric material of the article.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the head section has a width of up to 3 inches, and wherein the foot section has a width greater than 3 inches.
 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the article is a leather jacket. 